The iconic Southern California punk band X is celebrating 35 years of making beautiful, twangy noise by doing what it does best: hitting the road. The original lineup - which features vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist-bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer D.J. Bonebrake - plays two Bay Area shows this week, revisiting highlights from its career, including a sizable run through its seminal Ray Manzarek-produced first album, "Los Angeles." Cervenka looked back on the group's wild ride.

Q:Does it feel like 35 years have passed since you first got onstage with X?

A: Oh, yeah. After 35 years, what do you have to show for that life you've chosen? The most rewarding is the effect you've had on people's lives. Almost always, people will say things like, "Thank you for changing my life" or "Thank you for getting me through high school." All that stuff.

Q:But it sounds like it comes at some personal expense.

A: You know what? It is so crazy doing this s-. Being an artist - it's so hard not to have expectations of what you want to accomplish, but you just can't. You will get disappointed.

Q:Would you do anything differently?

A: I would have done things a lot different. I kind of got sent down here without a road map or a guide. It's all been trial and error. But I'm alive.

Q:Last year, you attributed X's longevity to staying alive. Is it really that simple?

A: That's it. We outlived some other people, which I'm sad about. But here we are.

Q:You got to tour South America last year with Pearl Jam. Are things like that happening more frequently?

A: No. That's the only band that's taken us out. The thing about it is by the first night of that tour, I knew immediately that we were going to be totally embraced by the people in that arena. I was like, man, this is what it would have been like if people took us out along the way. We could never get anybody to take us out.

Q:Who would want to follow X?

A: People tell me that all the time. Thanks a lot. The other thing is punk rock became a boys club really quick.

Q:How does the band function with everyone scattered across the country?

A: It doesn't really matter. We don't rehearse or anything. It's like we show up. I can't not be able to sing the songs, no matter what. {sbox}